A Paris All Your Own: Bestselling Women Writers on the City of Light

by Eleanor Brown (Editor), Michelle Gable (Contributor), Jennifer Coburn (Contributor), Cathy Kelly (Contributor), Julie Powell (Contributor), Lauren Willig (Contributor), Therese Anne Fowler(Contributor), Maggie Shipstead(Contributor) ,  Meg Waite Clayton (Contributor), J. Courtney Sullivan (Contributor), Ellen Sussman(Contributor), Susan Vreeland (Contributor), Megan Crane (Contributor), Paula McLain (Contributor), Jennifer L. Scott (Contributor), Cara Black(Contributor), M.J. Rose  (Contributor) 

Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: July 4th 2017 by G.P. Putnam's Son

A collection of all-new Paris-themed essays written by some of the biggest names in women's fiction, including Paula McLain, Therese Anne Fowler, Maggie Shipstead, and Lauren Willig, edited by Eleanor Brown, the New York Times bestselling author of The Weird Sisters and The Light of Paris.

"My time in Paris," says New York Times-bestselling author Paula McLain (The Paris Wife), "was like no one else's ever." For each of the eighteen bestselling authors in this warm, inspiring, and charming collection of personal essays on the City of Light, nothing could be more true. 

While all of the women writers featured here have written books connected to Paris, their personal stories of the city are wildly different. Meg Waite Clayton (The Race for Paris) and M. J. Rose (The Book of Lost Fragrances) share the romantic secrets that have made Paris the destination for lovers for hundreds of years. Susan Vreeland (The Girl in Hyacinth Blue) and J. Courtney Sullivan (The Engagements) peek behind the stereotype of snobbish Parisians to show us the genuine kindness of real people. 

From book club favorites Paula McLain, Therese Anne Fowler (Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald), and anthology editor Eleanor Brown (The Light of Paris) to mystery writer Cara Black (Murder in the Marais), historical author Lauren Willig (The Secret History of the Pink Carnation), and memoirist Julie Powell (Julie and Julia), these Parisian memoirs range from laugh-out-loud funny to wistfully romantic to thoughtfully somber and reflective. 

Perfect for armchair travelers and veterans of Parisian pilgrimages alike, readers will delight in these brand-new tales from their most beloved authors.


Content:

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a French Woman
Too Much Paris
Paris is Your Mistress
A Myth, a Museum, and a Man
French for "Intrepid"
Paris, Lost and Found
Failing At Paris
The Passion of Routine
Investigating Paris
My Paris Dreams
We'll Never Have Paris
Reading Paris
Finding Paris's Hidden Past
Secret Eatings
Until We Meet Again
A Good Idea?
Paris Alone
Thirty-Four Things You Should Know About Paris
What is it about Paris?

My Thoughts…

I am not a world traveler.   I don’t dream of visiting Paris but I love to read about Paris.   The Paris of different eras, different stations in life, and for different people all intrigue me.    

This collection of short stories about Paris is wonderful.     I love that not every short story is the same.   There are stories of family visits, stories of visiting the tourist stops, stories of the art and galleries, and stories of not enjoying Paris.     There were so many different views and perspectives of visiting, living, and seeing Paris that I found myself devouring each one.       I was anxious to get to the next story.

Between each story there were short bios of the authors along with their likes, dislikes, and memories of Paris which I found informative.   It was interesting to learn a little about the authors along with what influenced their memories of Paris.   

Whether you have visited Paris, dream of visiting Paris, or just like to live vicariously through what you read  this is a great collection of short stories.  

Thank you Carolyn Darr of Putnam Publicity for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.  

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